ODE TO A GRAPE
Clustered beneath canopy
dusted violet orb
bides her time
warmed by summer sun
concentrating her sweetness
into purple perfection
flavorful silken skin
encases seeded jelly core.
Patiently she hangs
until fall’s ripening
when expert hands
carefully clip her cluster,
she joins other grapes
basket into bin
sorted, anxiously waiting
to join crush and stomp.
Fruit of the gods
transformed by alchemy
becomes nectar
pressed into barrel
then bottled
for a pour into glass
she swirls a wild dance
before you deeply inhale
her perfume
gazing at deep purple
tasting terroir
soil and place
of a fermented grape
she ages and becomes the poem
flowing over your palate
for pure pleasure.
Jim Mc Donald’s poems have appeared in the 2016 and 2017 editions of the California Writers Club Literary Review, First Press and the Jessamyn West Creative Writing Contest Anthology. He is a member of the town’s Arts Commission in Yountville, CA.
